Dynamic UL gaps for MPE detection

Abstract

In a system, apparatus, method, and non-transitory computer readable medium for implementing dynamic uplink (UL) gaps for maximum permissible exposure (MPE) detection, a user equipment (UE) device include a wireless antenna array, a memory storing computer readable instructions and a UL gap configuration, and processing circuitry configured to execute the computer readable instructions to cause the device to, determine estimated distance information between a user and the device using the wireless antenna array during at least one first scheduled UL gap of the UL gap scheduling in accordance with the UE maximum transmission power limit, the UL gap scheduling based on a default UL gap periodicity value and a default UL gap duration value, transmit a MPE-related message to the node based on the estimated distance information and a desired MPE threshold, and adjust the UL gap configuration based on the transmitted MPE-related message.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A user equipment (UE) device comprising:
 a wireless antenna array configured to communicate with a radio access network (RAN) node; 
 a memory storing computer readable instructions and an uplink (UL) gap configuration, the UL gap configuration including UL gap scheduling and a UE maximum transmission power limit for each UL gap, the UL gap scheduling including a UL gap periodicity value and a UL gap duration value; and 
 processing circuitry configured to execute the computer readable instructions to cause the device to,
 determine estimated distance information between a user and the device using the wireless antenna array during at least one first scheduled UL gap of the UL gap scheduling in accordance with the UE maximum transmission power limit, the UL gap scheduling based on a default UL gap periodicity value and a default UL gap duration value, 
 transmit a maximum permissible exposure (MPE)-related message to the node based on the estimated distance information and a desired MPE threshold, 
 adjust the UL gap configuration based on the transmitted MPE-related message; 
 update the estimated distance information between the user and the device during at least one second scheduled UL gap. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is further caused to:
 receive a dynamic UL gap configuration from the node in response to the MPE-related message, the dynamic UL gap configuration including at least one of a new UE maximum transmission power limit, a new UL gap duration value, a new UL gap periodicity value, or any combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 2 , wherein
 the received dynamic UL gap configuration includes the new UE maximum transmission power limit; and 
 in response to the received dynamic UL gap configuration including the new UE maximum transmission power limit, the device is further caused to adjust the UL maximum transmission power limit of the wireless antenna array for at least one second scheduled UL gap based on the estimated distance information and the new UE maximum transmission power limit. 
 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 2 , wherein
 the received dynamic UL gap configuration includes the new UL gap duration value, new UL gap periodicity, or both the new UL gap duration value and the new UL gap periodicity value; and 
 in response to the received dynamic UL gap configuration including the new UL gap duration value, new UL gap periodicity value, or both the new UL gap duration value and the new UL gap periodicity value, the device is further caused to adjust the UL gap scheduling based on the received dynamic UL gap configuration. 
 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 2 , wherein the device is further caused to:
 receive the dynamic UL gap configuration via RRC signaling, MAC signaling, DCI signaling, or any combinations thereof, the dynamic UL gap configuration being UE-specific. 
 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the desired MPE threshold is at least one of:
 an MPE event report threshold, an MPE warning report threshold, an estimated power back-off report threshold, or any combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is further caused to:
 transmit a UE capabilities message to the node, the UE capabilities message indicating the device supports MPE UL gaps; and 
 receive a dynamic UL gap configuration or a common UL gap configuration from the node in response to the transmitted UE capabilities message. 
 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is further caused to:
 receive a broadcast message from the node, the broadcast message including a new UL gap configuration; and 
 update the UL gap scheduling based on the received new UL gap configuration. 
 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is further caused to:
 transmit a second MPE-related message to the node based on the updated estimated distance information and the desired MPE threshold; and 
 adjust the UL gap configuration based on the second transmitted MPE-related message. 
 
     
     
       10. A radio access network (RAN) node comprising:
 a memory storing computer readable instructions; and 
 processing circuitry configured to execute the computer readable instructions to cause the node to,
 receive a maximum permissible exposure (MPE)-related message from at least one first user equipment (UE) device, 
 adjust a UL gap configuration for the at least one first device based on the received MPE-related message, the adjusted UL gap configuration causing the at least one first device to determine an estimated distance information between a user of the at least one first device and the at least one first device during at least one scheduled UL gap. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The node of  claim 10 , wherein the received MPE-related message is at least one of an MPE event report, an MPE warning report, an estimated power back-off report, or any combinations thereof. 
     
     
       12. The node of  claim 10 , in response to the received MPE-related message, the node is further caused to:
 determine at least one of a new UE maximum transmission power limit, a new UL gap duration value, a new UL gap periodicity value, or any combinations thereof, based on the received MPE-related message; and 
 transmit a dynamic UL gap configuration to the at least one first device, the dynamic UL gap configuration including at least one of the new UE maximum transmission power limit, the new UL gap duration value, the new UL gap periodicity value, or the combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
       13. The node of  claim 12 , wherein
 the dynamic UL gap configuration is specific to the at least one first device; and 
 transmit the dynamic UL gap configuration via RRC signaling, MAC signaling, DCI signaling, or any combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
       14. The node of  claim 12 , wherein the node is further caused to:
 perform a handover operation for the at least one first device based on the received MPE-related message. 
 
     
     
       15. The node of  claim 10 , wherein the node is further caused to:
 receive a UE capabilities message from the at least one first device, the UE capabilities message indicating the UE supports MPE UL gaps; 
 determine a dynamic UL gap configuration for the at least one first device based on the UE capabilities message, the dynamic UL gap configuration including new UL gap scheduling based on a new UL gap duration value, a new UL gap periodicity value, or both the new UL gap duration value and the new UL gap periodicity value; and 
 transmit the dynamic UL gap configuration to the at least one first device in response to the received UE capabilities message. 
 
     
     
       16. The node of  claim 10 , wherein the node is further caused to:
 determine new UL gap configuration for all devices in a cell corresponding to the node; and 
 broadcast the new UL gap configuration to the cell. 
 
     
     
       17. The node of  claim 10 , wherein the node is further caused to:
 schedule at least one UL slot for at least one second device during the at least one scheduled UL gap for the at least one first device. 
 
     
     
       18. A method of operating a user equipment (UE) device, the method comprising:
 determining estimated distance information between a user and the device using a wireless antenna array during at least one first scheduled UL gap of UL gap scheduling for the device associated with a UL gap configuration, the determining the estimated distance information performed in accordance with a UE maximum transmission power limit associated with the UL gap configuration, and the UL gap scheduling based on a default UL gap periodicity setting and a default UL gap duration; 
 transmitting a maximum permissible exposure (MPE)-related message to a radio access network (RAN) node based on the estimated distance information and a desired MPE threshold; 
 adjusting the UL gap configuration based on the transmitted MPE-related message; and 
 updating the estimated distance information between the user and the device during at least one second scheduled UL gap. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 receiving a dynamic UL gap configuration from the node in response to the MPE-related message, the dynamic UL gap configuration including at least one of a new UE maximum transmission power limit, a new UL gap duration setting, a new UL gap periodicity, or any combinations thereof. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 transmitting a second MPE-related message to the node based on the updated estimated distance information and the desired MPE threshold; and 
 adjusting the UL gap configuration based on the second transmitted MPE-related message.